Weatherly: People mix up NCIS name

NCIS star Michael Weatherly has revealed the show's title has been changed several times, because people kept getting confused.

The procedural drama, which follows the fictional Naval Criminal Investigative Service Major Case Response Team, was originally referred to as Navy NCIS in the first season, with Navy later dropped.

The 45-year-old actor, who plays Senior Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo in the series, said: "The National Crop Insurance Service is what people originally thought we were. Then we thought we better call it Navy NCIS.

"When the show first aired, it was called Navy NCIS in 2003 or Navy CIS in some parts of the world. Everyone called it Navy CSI for about four years and then it went into a different realm."

He added: " The show has magically had these multiple lives, like some sort of lucky cat, and we are in our 11th season and flourishing and having a great time."

The 11th series, which will premiere on Channel 5 on February 5, will see some old faces returning while Cote de Pablo will bow out as Special Agent Ziva David.

"We return to our cornerstone stories so we always have some of Leroy Gibbs' ex-wives appear - one particular ex-wife Diane - so that's always hilarious.